Gibson Style A-1 Model Carved Top Mandolin (1915), made in Kalamazoo, Michigan, serial # 26669, natural top, cherry stained back and sides finish, birch body, spruce top, mahogany neck with ebony fingerboard, original black hard shell case.
This is an extremely nice example of the mid-'teens Gibson Style A-1, just over 100 years old but one of the cleanest we have had in a while! Typical period features include a nicely ambered natural finish top, raised celluloid pickguard, early style "reverse" mounted Waverly tuners, "The Gibson" engraved tailpiece cover and the carved ebony compensated bridge with individual saddle inserts.
The A-1 model was a slight step up from the plainer A with just a touch more in the way of decoration: a pearl "The Gibson" logo on the headstock and two half-herringbone sound hole rings. This makes the A-1 a wee bit more elegant but has no effect the sound, which remains excellent as ever with a nice woody ring. Ready for another century, this old "Pumpkin top" remains an enduring testament to the work of the original Gibson factory.
Overall length is 26 1/2 in. (67.3 cm.), 10 1/16 in. (25.6 cm.) across at the widest point, and 1 7/8 in. (4.8 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 14 in. (356 mm.). Width of nut is 1 3/16 in. (30 mm.).
Overall this is a nice, all original mandolin which looks to have not seen all that much use over the last 110 years. It shows some light finish wear, with micro-checking to the original varnish on most surfaces and several deeper dinks to the top, notable along the upper edge of the face above the soundhole. There are no repairs or alterations except a minor re-seal to the back/side seam just by the tailpiece.
All hardware is original and complete including the oft-missing elevated pickguard and clamp; the plating is very clean for over a century along. The frets have been crowned down just a bit and this is a very solid player with a good punchy sound. Overall this is one of the nicer Gibson mandolins from this period we have had recently, still living in the original hardshell case, solid and pretty clean overall with the upper part of the lock latch detached but still in the pocket. Overall Excellent - Condition.
